Bus plate



ay 2, 1933- K. J. HELMHOLTZ 1,906,587

BUS PLATE Filed July 15, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1x20622257": 7 25amJHEZMOZJZ y 1933- K J. HELMHOLTZ BUS PLATE 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July15, 1931 Patented -May 2, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KARL J.HELMHOLTZ,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ECONOMY ELECTRIC LAN- BUS PLATEApplication filed July 15; 1931. Serial No. 550,909.

This invention relates to means for controlling the circuits of lightbulbs in electric lanterns and analogous devices, and has to do moreparticularly with what I term a bus plate.

One of the main objects of my invention 1s to provide a device of simpleand inexpenslve, but highly efficient construction for use in electriclanterns and devices of similar nature whereby the circuits of the lightbulbs may be controlled with facility and the necessity of using wiresand conductors of like nature is dispensed with. A further object is toprovide a device ofthe character stated whereby the circuits of aplurality of light bulbs may be controlled selectively by movement of asingle switch arm. Further objects and advantages of my invention willappear from the detailed descriptio nl.

In the drawings: V

Figure 1 is an underneath view of a bus plate structure in accordancewith my invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structure of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View through an electriclantern, showing the bus plate structure of Figures 1 and 2 as applied,parts being broken away and parts beingishgven iii elevation;

.Figu 4 is a fragmentary sectional view ,taken substantially online 4-%1of Figure 3 Figure 5 isa section taken substantially on line 5-5 ofFigure 1; v 35 Figure 6 is a perspective detail view of the switch armand the switch blade carried thereby;

Figure 7 is an underneath view of a modified form of bus plate inaccordance with my invention; I 1

Figure 8 is a section taken substantially on line 8-8 of Figure 7, partsbeing shown in elevation;

Figure 9 is-an underneath view of a second modified form of bus plate inaccordance with my invention; p Figure 10 is a'section takensubstantially v on line 10--10 of Figure 9.

' I In the form of my invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 6,inclusive, I provide an insulating and. supporting plate comprisingupper and lower discs 1 and 2, respectively, formed of a suitableelectrical insulating material, such as a condensation product. An innercontact strip 3 in the form of a disc,,, conveniently formed of brass orany suitable sheet metal, is secured upon the upper face of disc 1centrally thereof. An outer annular contact strip 4 is secured upon theupper face of disc 1 concentrically with strip 3, the

strip 4 being also conveniently formed from sheet brass or othersuitable sheet metal. A

sheet metal switch arm 5 is disposed at the under face of disc 2 and ispivotally secured to the disc structure by a rivet 6, this rivet servingto alsosecure strip 3 in position and to establish electricalconnectionbetween this strip and the arm. Two light contact members 7 alsoconveniently formed of brass, are disposed at the under face of disc 2at opposite sides of the pivot 6. Each of these members is provided withan upwardly extending reduced neck 8 in the form of a hollow rivet,which passes through disc 2 and is beaded over at its upper edge so asto secure member 7 tightly to the disc. The upper disc '1 overlieselement 8 and serves to electrically insulate member 7 from the strips 3and 4. The member 7 is provided with a depending cylindrical body 9through which extends a bore concentric with but of less diameter thanthe bore 10- which extends through the rivet ele- 4 ment 8 anddownwardly into the body 9, as

in Figure 5. A short rod 11 is slidably mounted through the bore at thelower end of body 9 and is provided at its upper end with a head 12limiting downward movement of the rod. This rod is urged downwardly byan expansion coil spring 13 confined between body 9 of member 7 and acontact head 14 at the lower end of the rod. This head 14 is adapted forcontact with the central contact element of a light bulb, as will bemore fully explained hereinafter. i Arm 5 is provided with atransversely extending and downwardly projecting channel element 15 inwhich. is mounted an arcuate switch blade 16, conveniently formed ofsuitable sheet metal, this blade being'electrically 1 insulated from thearm as shown in Figure 4. Blade 16 projects beyond both sides of the armand is provided, at each end, with an upwardly offset terminal element17. The elements 17 are disposed to contact under surfaces 18 of member7, such surfaces being inclined downwardly and inwardly of member 7 asin Fi ure 5. Contact strip 4 is socured in pom by rivets 19 securedthrough this strip and through the discs 1 and 2. These rivets areprovided, at their lower ends, with rounded heads 20. Two of theserivets are disposed in the path of movement of a blade 16 and are sospaced that, when either of the terminal elements 17 of this blade is incontact with the corresponding member 7, the other terminal element isin contact with head 20 of the rivet 19 remote from such terminalelement, By moving the arm 5 in proper direction, the elements 7 may beselectively connected in serieswith the contact strips 3 and 4.

Arm 5 extends outwardly beyond thesupporting and insulating plate ordisc strucr ture and is provided, at its outer end, with an upwardlyprojecting arcuate fiangei2l.

In the use of my bus plate structure, it is disposed within a metalcasing 22, conveniently of cylindrical shape, of an electric lantern 23.A sheet metal guard and reflector member 24 is disposed below thesupporting and insulating disc structure, this member being providedwith an outer flange 25 which is clamped between the disc structure anda flange 26 extending inwardly from the casing 22 at the bottom thereof.Screws 27 pass through the flanges 25 and 26 and thread into the discstructure for securing the parts together. The arm 5 is of such lengththat, when the bus plate structure is disposed within casing 22 in themanner set forth, flange 21 contacts the inner surface of thesurrounding wall of the casing so that contact strip 3 is grounded tothe casing through the arm. Conveniently, a knob 28 is secured to flange21 in a suitable manner, as by means of a screw 29, this knob having areduced element operating in a suitable slot in casing 22. The arm isthus operable exteriorly of the casing for including either of the lightcontact members 7 in circuit with knownmanner. Insulating thimbles 33,of suitable electrical insulating material, seat in the upper ends ofmembers 30 and contact, at their upper ends, with the lower ends ofmembers 7, these thimbles extending about rods 11 and the parts carriedthereby. When bulbs 31 are screwed into the socket members 30, terminalelements 32 thereof contact with the heads 14 atthe lower ends of'therods 11' in a manner well known in the art. The casing 32 receives anelectric battery 34 of known type provided with a central contact member35 and an outer contact member 36. The contact strips 3 and 4 are sodisposed that,

when the battery 34 is disposed within casing 1 22 in inverted position,the contact or terminal elements 35 and 36 thereofrest upon the strips 3and 4, respectively. Upon movement of arm 5 into osition to bring eitherof the terminal eleme s 1 7 thereof into contact with the adjacentmember 7, the circuit of the associated bulb 31 is closed through strip4, member 7 and associated parts, socket member 30, member 34, casin 22,flange 21 and arm 5 to contact strip 3. he arm 5 and associated partsthus provide simple and highly efiicient means for selectivelycontrolling the circuit of either of the light bulbs and if either ofthese bulbs is disabled, the other bulb is immediately available foruse. The construction and operation of the lantern itself, is fullydisclosed in my copending application for electric lantern, Serial No.585,916, filed January 1-1, 1932, and need not be illustrated nordescribed here in greater detail.

In the modified form illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, the light contactmembers are of approximately spool shape and eachis provided with acircumferential groove 76 of ap; proximately V-shape in cross section.Switch blade 16a is provided with terminal elements 17a which aredownwardly ofl'set and are adapted to engage into the grooves 7 b ofmembers 7 a in contact with the walls thereof. A bowed and resilientcontact member 40 is secured in position by one of the rivets 19, thearms of this member bearing against the upper faceof switch blade 1611so as to establish electrical connection between this blade and low neck43 which projects through disc 41 I and inner contact strip 3 at thecenter of this disc, the upper edge of neck 43 being beaded down overstrip 3 as shown in Figure 10. A short rod 44 is slidably mountedthrough rod, and confined between head 44 and memher 42. v A flangedthimble 45 of electrical insulating m' 1 is disposed above contactmember 42 and about the neck thereof and switch arm 5a is pivoted uponmember 42 for movement about the latter, but is electrically insulatedfrom this member by the thimble 45. Arm 5a is provided with an upwardly"projecting element 5?) disposed to contact the head of an adjacent oneof the rivets 19 upon movement of the arm 5/; into circuit closingposition. In the use of this form of bus plate structure, the member 24of Figure 3 is provided with but one socket member 30 disposed centrallythereof, and a light bulb 31 is mounted in such member so as to contacthead 14 of rod 44. Upon movement of arm 59 into circuit closingposition, the circuit of the light bulb is closed through member 42, thebulb filament, the socket member in which the bulb is mounted, themember 24, the casing 22 and flange 21 to arm 5a and thence to contactstrip 4 by means of contact elcn'ient 5/1 of the arm and the rivet 1'9with the head of which such elementcontacts. The use of the form of myinvention illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 is thought to be obvious fromthe above brief description thereof, and a more detailed descrlptlon ofsuch use is not thought to be necessary.

As'above indicated, and as will be apparent -to those skilled in theart; changes in construction and arrangement of parts of my inventionmay be resorted to withoutdeparting from the field and scope of thesame, and I intend to include all such variations, as

fall within the scope of the appended claims,

in this application in which the preferred forms only of my inventionare disclosed.

What I claim is:

1. In a structure of the character stated, a supporting and insulatingplate, concentric contact strips mounted upon one face of said plate,two contact members on the other face of the plate and connected to therespective strips, and a switch arm connected to one of said members formovement concentrically with the strips, said arm being provided with Amember disposed to contact the other contact member in the movement ofthe arm.

2. In a structure of the character stated, a supporting and insulatingplate, concentric contact strips mounted upon one face of said plate,two contact members on the other face of the plate and connected to therespective strips, and a switch arm connected to one of said members formovement concentrically with the strips, said arm extending outwardlybeyond the edge of the plate andbeing provided with a member disposed tocontact the other contact member in the movement of the arm.

i 3. In a structure of the character stated, a supporting and insulatingplate, concentric contact strips mounted upon one face of said plate,two contact members on the other face of the plate and connected to therespective strips, and a switch arm connected to one of said members formovement concentrically with the strips, said arm extending outwardlybeyond the edge of the plate and being provided with a member disposedto contact the other contact member in the movement of the arm, the armalso being provided with an angnlarly disposed contact clement at itsouter end.

M 4. In a structure of the character stated, a supporting and insulatingdisc, an inner contact strip mougtqlthupon the upper face of the disccentrally ereof, an outer contact strip mounted upon the upper face ofthe disc concentrically,with the inner strip, a switch arm of electricalconducting material beneath the 'disc and electrically'connected'to theinner strip and movable on the axis thereof. a light contact member atthe under face of the disc and insulated'from both of the strips, aswitch contact member at the under face'of the disc and electricallyconnected to the outer contact strip, and a blade member carried by andelectrically in sulated from the arm, said blade being mov her in themovement of the arm and while in contact with the switch contact member.

5. In a structure of the character stated, a supporting and insulatingdisc, an inner contact strip mounted upon the upperface of the disccentrally thereof, an outer contact strip mounted upon the upper face ofthe disc concentrically with the inner strip, a switch arm of electricalconducting material beneath the disc and electrically connected to theinner strip and movable on the axis thereof, two light contact membersspaced apart at the under face of the disc and electrically insulatedfrom the strips, two switch contact members spaced apart at the underface of the disc and electrically connected to the outer strip, and aswitch blade carried bv and electrically insulat d from the arm, saidblade being movable 'ith the arm into position to contact either tif thelight contact members selectively while also contaeting oneof the switchcontact members.

6. In a structure of the character stated,

a supporting and insulating disc. two spaced I electrically insulatedfrom the arm and eleccontact strips upon theupper face of the disc, twospaced light contact members at the under face of the disc and insulatedfrom the strips, a switch arm operating between the contact members, andmeans including the arm for selectively connecting said members inseries with the strips in the movement of said arm.

8. In a structure of the character stated,

- a supporting and insulating disc, two spaced inner contact strip uponthe upper face of contact strips upon the upper face of the disc, twospaced light contact members at the-under face of the disc and insulatedfrom the strips, a switch arm, and means including the arm forselectively connecting said members in series with the strips in themovement of said arm.

9. In a structure of the character stated, a supporting andinsulatingdisc structure comprising two superposed discs, two contact strips uponthe upper face of the upper disc, a switch arm at the under face of thelower disc, a contact member secured through the lower disc andprojecting from the under face thereof, a switch lade carried by andelectrically insulated rom the arm, and means for securing the discstogether and for securing the contact strips upon the upper disc, thearm having an element cooperating with said means for connecting thecontact member in series with the strips upon" movement of the arm intoswitch closing positlon. Y

10. In a structure of the character described, a supporting andinsulating disc, an inner contact strip upon the upper face of the disc,an outer contact strip upon the upper face of the disc and concentricwith the inner strip, a switch arm at the under face of the disc andpivoted to-turn on an axis concident with the axis of the inner strip,light contact members on the under face of the (1150 at opposite sidesof the pivot of the arm,

the arm being electrically connected to the inner strip, a switch bladecarried by the arm and electrically insulated therefrom, said bladeprojecting beyond the sides of the arm, the under faces of the lightcontact members being inclined downwardly and inwardly thereof and theblade having upwardly offset elements disposed to contact the inclinedsurfaces of said members in the movement of the arm, and meanselectrically connecting the switch blade to the outer contact strip inthe movement of the arm.

11. In a structure of the character described, asupporting andinsulating disc, an

the disc, an outer contact strip upon the upper face of the disc andconcentric with the inner strip, a switch arm at the under face of thedisc and pivoted to turn on an axis coincident with the axis of theinner strip, light contact members on the under face of the disc atopposite sides of the pivot of 'the arm, the arm being electrically connected to the inner strip, a switch blade carried by the arm andelectrically insulated therefrom, said blade projecting beyond the sidesof the arm, the light contact members being provided withcircumferential grooves of substantially V-shape and the blade havingdownwardly offset elements disposed to engage into said grooves incontact with the walls thereof in the movement of the arm, and meanselectrically connecting the switch blade to the outer contact strip inthe move ment of the arm.

' 12. In a structure of the character described, a supporting andinsulating disc, an inner contact strip upon the upper face of the disc,and outer contact strip upon the upper face .of the disc, and concentricwith the inner strip, a light contact member at the under face of thedisc disposed coaxially with and electrically connected to the innerstrip, a switch arm pivoted upon but electrically insulated from saidmember, and a switch contact member at the under face of the discelectrically connected to the outer strip, said arm being of electricalconducting material and h ving an element disposed to contact saidswiich contact memher when the arm is moved into circuit closingposition.

13. In a structure of the character stated, a supporting and insulatingplate, two closed concentric contact strips mounted upon one side ofsaid plate, and means mounted on the plate at the other side thereof andcomprising a switch arm and a contact member connected to the respectivestrips for'connecting said strips in series.

14. In a structure of the character stated, a supporting and insulatingplate, two closed concentric contact strips mounted upon one the inricrcontact strip for movement con-.

centric therewith.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 8th day of Jul1931.

KARL J. H LMHOLTZ.

